Neil Magny has called for a top tier opponent after beating former champ, Robbie Lawler in the UFC Vegas 8 co-main event.
Speaking to media post-fight Magny expressed his desire to fight someone in the top-ten of the 170lb division, he said.
“I definitely think this is a top-10 performance to get me a top-10 opponent before the year’s over, keep moving forward toward a title shot going into 2021. But this is one of those weird things in MMA right now. Everyone feels entitled to fight certain people, but I honestly do not care. If I have to fight one through 10 in order to get a title shot, I’m ready and willing to do that. Just line them up. I’m ready to go.”
Magny reflected on his win over Lawler which he says was somewhat bittersweet due to the fact he is a huge fan of ‘Ruthless’.
“It’s like a bittersweet moment,” Magny said. “Knowing the kind of legacy Robbie Lawler carries in this sport, it feels amazing. The respect that I have for him, it’s kind of disappointing beating your hero, so to speak. But at the end of the day, I’m happy with the performance, and I’m excited to see what this does for my career.”
Magny was originally set to face Geoff Neal at UFC Vegas 8 but ‘Hands of Steel’ was forced out of the bout and replaced by Lawler. ‘The Haitian Sensation’ remains open to rebooking the eagerly anticipated fight with Neal.
“Yeah, let’s go. (Neal) was the one that was scheduled for this fight,” Magny said. “And that’s kind of the frustrating thing going into this fight: Robbie Lawler was on my radar for years. It popped up on my Facebook a couple of weeks ago that, when he was the champion, I was one of the guys in the group to potentially fight him. … I knew what I was capable of against a guy like Robbie Lawler. It’s just frustrating that it took this long to finally get that fight.
“The thing that goes with the fight now is everyone wants to say, ‘Oh, well, he’s past his prime. He fought too late. He fought bad.’ No, I fought well. I went out there and did what I knew I could do against a guy like Robbie Lawler whether it was tonight or five years ago. Fighting Geoff Neal, I think, secures it for me, letting me know I can take out these guys that are on hot win streaks and younger guys, as well.” (Transcribed by MMAJunkie)
Who do you want to see Neil Magny fight next?